Tray



March 15, 1966 R. c. SHAVE 3,240,170

TRAY

Filed Oct. 8, 1984 4 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TTOR NE YS March 15, 1966 c, SHAVE 3,240,170

TRAY

Filed Oct. 8, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Fflfli/Pf l. 5941 15 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,240,170 TRAY Robert C. Shave, 2017 Eastern Ave., Box 1724, Grand Rapids, Mich. Filed Oct. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 402,419 6 Claims. (Cl. 10832) This invention relates to furniture, and more particularly to a collapsible furniture device constituting a combination tray and desk unit.

To be able to read, study and/or other paper work while sitting comfortably in a chair is usually achievable only with a conventional chair and desk combination. However, many homes or apartments do not have room for a normal desk, and some families simply cannot afford a regular desk. Moreover, a desk in many homes simply does not have the amount of use warranting the normal expenditure required for it. Further, it is often more desirable to sit in a conventional chair, for example an armchair, to do such work-at least part of the time for the sake of variety. Yet, this is normally not conveniently possible or even practical with presently available equipment.

In fact, it would be advantageous to have a desk unit that is not only adaptable and usable with a conventional chair, but which can be conveniently stored in compact form when not being used.

In addition to these factors, it is noteworthy that many homes have foldable trays, commonly called TV trays, that are used only a small fraction of the time. Yet these conventional trays cannot normally be used for writing or reading due to their very structure required to enable their use as a retention tray.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a novel desk unit until that is usuable with a conventional chair, whether the chair has arms or not.

Another object of this invention is to provide a desk unit that is substantially collapsible from an operative position to a compact storage position.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a collapsible desk unit, usable with any conventional chair, and allowing the user convenient sitting in any selected position. It does not require the sitter to perch on the edge of his chair, even if an armchair is used.

It is another object of this invention to provide a convertible folding tray and desk combination usable as a tray or as a desk by the employment of the simple desk attachment.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a foldable, light weight desk attachment connectable and removable to and from any conventional TV tray, to convert it to a writing or reading desk.

These and several other objects of this invention will become apparent upon studying the following specification in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the complete assembled apparatus forming a desh unit;

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the apparatus in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus in FIGS. 1 and 2, shown in use with a chair;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional View of the apparatus taken on plane IVIV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, elevational view of the apparatus viewed from the direction V in FIG. 1, and showing the attachment and disattachment of the desk attachment to the tray assembly; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the tray assembly portion completely folded.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the complete desk unit It} shown in FIG. 1 includes a tray assembly 14 with a desk attachment v12 mounted thereon.

The tray assembly includes a pair of parallel, vertical legs 18 and 18 at the front thereof having L-shaped brackets 20 and 20' at the top end thereof, and 22 and 22' at the lower end thereof. Extending horizontally from these lower brackets is a pair of parallel foot support bars 26 and 26 which are perpendicular to legs 18 and 18'. These support bars are normally held perpendicular to the leg by a pair of collapsible toggle links 24 and 24. Eye tending from brackets 20 and 20' is a generally U-shaped tray support 16 having a pair of legs parallel to each other and parallel to foot elements 26 and 26' to form tray support girders, while normal to legs 18 and 18', and having a cross member perpendicular to its legs to form a generally U-shaped element. If desired, this element may be held in its expanded condition with respect to the assembly by toggle linkage 21. Alternatively, each of the bars may be secured to its respective brackets with a double pin connection to prevent them from collapsing except with removal of one pin. Other alternative retention means can be employed also.

The tray 28 has a typical configuration, including an upstanding peripheral rim, and a depressed central portion, to retain articles thereon. A pair of spaced, underlying spring clips 30 riveted to the tray have spreadable legs to enable them to be clamped and removed from the spaced parallel legs of U-shaped element 16. Due to this particular construction, the entire tray assembly can be folded to the compact configuration illustrated in FIG. 6. This is done by folding up feet elements 26 and 26', and folding down the U-shaped tray support 16, with the tray attached thereto, thereby enabling the entire assembly to be carried, as with a handle 23 mounted to the underside of the tray.

The assembly also has a desk function by utilizing these components in combination with desk attachment 12. This desk attachment includes an inclined platform 44 which is divergent from tray 28 in a manner illustrated in FIG. 1. It is mounted thereon utilizing the depending spaced end supports 38. These supports are preferably integral with the platform, and the integral structure is preferably formed by molding it of a moldable plastic such as polypropylene or the equivalent.

The attachment is interengaged uniquely with the side edges of tray 28. More specifically, the lower, horizontal edge of each support, e.g. 38, includes a pair of spaced flanges 40 defining a groove of a size sufiicient to receive the side edges of tray 28. The connection, if the unit is formed of resilient plastic, is achieved by deformably spreading the supports temporarily as illustrated in FIG. 5, with finger pressure, to fit the grooves over the edges of the tray and allow them to snap over the edges due to the inherent resiliency of supports 38.

Alternatively, for example, if the structure is formed of some other material, such as metal, this connection can be achieved with a sliding action by having an open end, on the grooves as shown in FIG. 1.

In either case, the platform overlies the tray, is inclined with respect thereto, downwardly towards the rear of the assembly, to enable its use as a desk. Preferably, a small cutout 34 in platform 44 facilitates proper interfit with a user.

More specifically, to employ the assembly as a tray, it is taken in its compact, portable form illustrated in FIG. 6, tray 28 is hoisted by pivoting brackets 20 and 20' on legs 18 and 18 to interlock linkage 21, feet elements 26 and 26' are pivoted downwardly to interlock linkage elements 24 and 24', and the feet 26 are slid beneath a chair 15 (FIG. 3) to enable its use as a convenient tray which will extend over the top of the chair seat.

Alternatively, to employ the structure as a reading or writing table or desk, the inclined platform 44 is attached merely by spreading supports 38 to snap the flanges 4-0 over the edges of tray 28, or alternatively, it is slid from back to front or front to back over the tray.

7 In this condition, the desk unit interfits uniquely with chair 15 to enable an optimum usage position, without the user having to sit on the front edge of the chair. Further, it will interfit with an armchair just as readily as the simpler chair shown.

The inventive assembly has a unique double function. It achieves the writing desk or reading desk requirements as well as tray requirements, to thereby enable a relatively compact form of furniture to serve both functions. It is conceivable that certain minor variations in structure could be made on the preferred illustrated form of the :structure without departing from the concept taught. Hence, the invention is not to be limited specifically to the preferred form shown, but only by the scope of the appended claims and the reasonable equivalents to those defined therein.

I claim:

1. A tray-desk combination comprising: a collapsible tray assembly including a supporting frame having upstanding legs, girder means interconnecting at least some of said legs, and a tray attached to said girder means; an inclined desk platform above said tray, having depending supports removably connectable with said tray to substantially rigidly support said platform above said tray, and to allow alternate use of the combination as a desk and tray.

2. A tray-desk combination comprising: a collapsible supporting framework including upright legs and tray mounting units thereon; a tray having clip means removably attached to said mounting units and having side edges; an inclined desk panel above said tray, having depending supports; said supports including grooves at an acute angle to said panel for receiving said tray edges; said supports being disengageable from said tray to enable alternate use of said combination as a tray and as a desk.

3. A tray-desk combination comprising: a collapsible tray assembly including frame support means; said sup- 4 port means including upright legs, and tray support gird ers between the upper ends of said legs; a tray removably attached to said girders and having extending opposite edges; an inclined desk platform above said tray, having depending spacer mounts; and said mounts including connecting means removably engaged with said tray edges to support said desk platform on said frame support means.

4. A tray-desk combination comprising: a support frame including a pair of upright legs, elongated feet connected to the bottom ends of said upright legs and extending parallel to each other, and a U-shaped tray mount connected to the upper ends of said legs and having the opposite legs thereof parallel to each other and to said feet; said feet and tray mount being collapsibly connected to said legs, and means to retain them in mounted condition; a tray above said frame, including clips removably attached to said mount, and having laterally extending side edges; an inclined desk platform above said tray, including depending support flanges on the lateral edges thereof; and said flanges having grooves receiving said tray edges, and removable therefrom.

5. The combination in claim 4 wherein said support flanges are of resilient polymeric material capable of temporary deformation against an inherent bias for removal and attachment to said tray.

6. The combination in claim 4 wherein said grooves have a slidable connection to said flanges.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,332,498 3/1920 Jakubowski 108135 X 1,599,247 9/1926 Ridabock 108-19 1,916,435 7/1933 Ott et al. 108--157 2,686,094 8/1954 Terry 108157 X 2,857,227 8/1958 Jacques 108-457 X 2,888,224 5/1959 Sanford 248-214 3,139,188 6/1964 Goetz et al. 211-126 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,024,588 1/ 1953 France.

165,468 2/ 1934 Switzerland.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TRAY-DESK COMBINATION COMPRISING: A COLLAPSIBLE TRAY ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A SUPPORTING FRAME HAVING UPSTANDING LEGS, GRIDER MEANS INTERCONNECTING AT LEAST SOME OF SAID LEGS, AND A TRAY ATTACHED TO SAID GRIDER MEANS; AN INCLINED DESK PLATFROM ABOVE SAID TRAY, HAVING DEPENDING SUPPORTS REMOVABLY CONNECTABLE WITH SAID TRAY TO SUBSTANTIALLY RIGIDLY SUPPORT SAID PLATFORM ABOVE SAID TRAY, AND TO ALLOW ALTERNATE USE OF THE COMBINATION AS A DESK AND TRAY. 